1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electronic device and its associated keyboard system and, more particularly, to an electronic device and its associated keyboard system that is capable of corresponding one keyboard matrix position to a plurality of keys.
2. Description of the Related Art
Keyboards are very important data input devices for computer systems; a user can input characters or commands by pressing keys on the keyboard to execute various functions of the computer system.
Generally, the prior art technology scans a keyboard matrix to obtain the operating condition of every key on the keyboard. The keyboard matrix is composed of line conductors and column conductors, and the crossing point of each line conductor and column conductor corresponds to a key. Every key is a switch, and when one key is pressed, the corresponding crossing point of the corresponding line conductor and corresponding column conductor is electrically connected.
Therefore, by scanning the keyboard matrix, the connected crossing points can be found to record the pressed key and send a corresponding scan code, which indicates the key that is pressed, to a host system of the computer for further processing, such as displaying the associated character on a computer display.
Please refer to FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is a schematic drawing of a prior art keyboard matrix. A keyboard has only four keys: A, B, C and D, and every key has its own matrix position (which is the crossing point of the line conductor and the column conductor). For example, key A is located at matrix position C1R1, key B is located at matrix position C2R1, key C is located at matrix position C1R2, and key D is located at matrix position C2R2.
When key A is pressed, conductor C1 and conductor R1 are electrically connected. When a keyboard controller scans and detects both conductor C1 and conductor R1 are activated, it learns that key A is pressed.
According to FIG. 1, one key corresponds to one keyboard matrix position, and therefore the total number of keys on the keyboard is determined by the size of the keyboard matrix. For example, in order to place 104 keys on a keyboard, there must be at least an 8×13 keyboard matrix. An even larger sized keyboard matrix is required for more keys.
Usually, the design of the typical keyboard matrix has an 8×16 or 8×18 matrix, which is respectively able to support at least 128 or 144 keys. For the keyboard manufacturer, the 8×16 keyboard matrix can only accept 128 keys on the keyboard at a maximum. For more than 128 keys, the manufacturer needs to use a larger keyboard matrix, which will increase design and manufacturing costs.
Accordingly, the typical notebook can support 128 keys or 144 keys. However, some new keyboard designs need more than 128 keys or 144 keys, and so the 8×16 keyboard matrix or the 8×18 keyboard matrix is not suitable.
Therefore, in order to overcome the prior art and let the software or hardware change on the keyboard be minimum, it is desirable to provide a keyboard system that can provide matrix positions in the keyboard matrix that correspond to more than one keys so that the prior art keyboard matrix (such as 8×16 keyboard matrix) can be utilized for more than 128 keys to mitigate and/or obviate the aforementioned design and manufacturing cost problems.